Webblog: Three things I know, three things I think about Michigan after spring game (2024)

I KNOW Davis Warren turned in one of his most impressive performances in a spring during which he had his fair share of them. He was the sharpest of Michigan's signal callers on the day, and the disparity was really evident when there was pressure in his face. During his first drive he connected on three passes with defenders bearing down on him. On a later drive he again eluded pressure to turn in the best play of the entire practice. After buying time by getting outside the pocket to his right Davis located Fredrick Moore running across the middle to his left. Davis delivered a pinpoint pass to Moore in stride, allowing a catch & run that Moore took all the way to the house from 48 yards out. Warren finished the day with 6/9 for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Warren was the player of the game.

I THINK Alex Orji showed the athleticism that has folks inside the program calling him an X-factor. He also had some of the errant throws that have kept him running away with the job. Orji's touchdown run on a broken naked slide pass play and a later scramble for a first down after leaving a good pocket exemplified his ability to make a difference with his legs. And while he had a good day throwing the ball statically (13/18 for 103 yards), his misses are garnering a lot of attention because of how off target they were. As was mentioned in yesterday's practice report, Orji has made great strides in his footwork under Kirk Campbell's tutelage, but consistency on that front remains a work in progress. All told, Orji had a solid day that culminated in a two-minute drill that saw him hit 10 passes and notch what should have been his second touchdown scramble

I KNOW Donovan Edwards picked up right where he left off in the national championship game. The senior running back showed patience, vision, and explosiveness in limited action. His first run was a power that he let develop before exploding up field. Then came an ISO that was sprung on a knee buckling block from Max Bredeson. Later he bounced a perfectly read duo that would've gone to the house were it not for a quick burst of speed from Jyaire Hill that led to a shoe-string tackle. When the dust settled, no. 7 had five carries for 33 yards.

I THINK Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill lived up to the spring practice hype. Berry really flashed as a blitzer. He rifled off the edge for two stops at or behind the line of scrimmage. As for Hill, his tackle on Edwards was just one of his standout plays. His other came on a scramble drill that saw freshman quarterback Jadyn Davis throw a well-placed jump ball down the sideline to Peyton O'Leary. The 6-3 wideout skied for the ball and grabbed it with two hands. But Hill never gave up on the play and raked the ball loose just as O'Leary was getting his foot down. Both had strong springs and are trending towards being major contributors in the fall.

I KNOW the odds that Wink Martindale will bring more pressure this year than last year are high. His reputation precedes him on that front, and he was true to it today. The linebackers were heavily involved in the pressure plan (Jimmy Rolder cashed in with a sack), and so were the safeties/nickels. Also noteworthy was the abundance of man coverage. He obviously kept things really vanilla and has more in the tool kit thanks to inheriting a defense well versed in coverage variations. But it's safe to assume that he'll add some heat to a defense that already applied a lot of it.

I THINK TJ Guy and Marlin Klein are two reserves poised to take big steps forward this year. Guy overwhelmed the tackles in front of him, sometimes with speed outside (which led to his sack), sometimes with strength (he stood up a young lineman to stuff a power), and sometimes with quickness (he knifed inside a TE to stuff a counter). The enthusiasm should be tempered a bit because each of the aforementioned plays came versus first- or second-year players. At the same time, he dominated them in a fashion you'd hope an experienced player would, and none of the other reserve defensive linemen flashed as often as Guy did versus similar competition. Klein was equally impressive from his tight end spot. He hauled in a game high four receptions for 36 yards, including a long of 23. Klein also showed promise as an in-line blocker. One of his best moments happened out of the gate when he and Andrew Gentry caved in the right side of the line to spring Edwards on a power play. Add these two to names to major contributors list

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